Ronan O'Gara: "High Standards Can Be Confused With Negativity"
Ronan O'Gara: "High Standards Can Be Confused With Negativity"
Ronan O'Gara urges La Rochelle to regroup after a narrow win over Toulouse, preparing to host unbeaten Leinster in a high-stakes Champions Cup clash.
La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara believes his side’s labored 22-19 win over a youthful Toulouse team in the Top 14 on Saturday must serve as a “wake-up call” ahead of a crucial Investec Champions Cup showdown with Leinster this weekend.
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The match at Stade Marcel Deflandre, La Rochelle's 100th consecutive sellout, was anything but smooth sailing for the reigning Champions Cup titlists.
Fly-half Antoine Hastoy, who replaced Ihaia West at halftime, sealed victory with a last-gasp penalty, capping off a scrappy, error-strewn performance.
Despite the win, O’Gara was blunt in his postgame assessment.
“We’ll take the four points, but right now, it feels like a defeat,” he admitted. “We need to change something—if I knew what, I’d have done it already.”
La Rochelle now faces familiar rival Leinster, the team it defeated in back-to-back Champions Cup finals in 2022 and 2023.
While Leo Cullen’s side boasts a flawless record this season with 11 wins in all competitions, La Rochelle has been less consistent, sitting sixth in the Top 14 with eight wins and six losses. Despite that, O’Gara’s men top Pool 2 of the Champions Cup, having defeated Bath and Bristol before Christmas.
The Irishman acknowledged that recent success has brought challenges, particularly in maintaining high standards without creating a negative atmosphere.
“Success is in the past,” he said. “We have to stop talking about it. Real competitors stick together and work harder.”
O’Gara also reflected on his coaching methods, admitting that his intense demands may have stifled some players.
“High standards can be confused with negativity," he added. "I’ve ‘frozen’ some players with the pressure I’ve put them under. It’s a good lesson for me—I’ve got to change my management, and we’ve got to change our mindset.”
Hastoy’s composed match-winning penalty was a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating performance.
“I’m really pleased for Antoine,” O’Gara said. “I’ve been very demanding of him, and I almost cracked him. But he came back stronger.”
He hopes Hastoy’s resilience will inspire the rest of the squad as they prepare for Leinster’s visit.
“It’s a difficult time, but we need to change the atmosphere,” O’Gara concluded. “The players and I have to give more. If we want to win the Champions Cup year after year, we need to work harder and forget the past. It’s time to turn the wheel.”
With Leinster arriving on the back of an unbeaten run, La Rochelle’s resolve will be tested like never before.
For O’Gara, Sunday’s clash represents an opportunity to prove that he can turn the tide on what feels like a slightly declining squad.
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